Char-Broil is a long-established American grill brand, and the Kettleman is its answer to the classic charcoal kettle done a little smarter. At around £170 it sits below the premium kettles on price but matches most of them on the numbers that matter: a 56cm grate, a sealed enamelled lid and a built-in thermometer. Where it tries to win is on the two practical features it adds, a hinged cast-iron grate for proper sear marks and a side hatch for adding charcoal without disturbing the food. That combination is exactly what makes it our best value pick, and the grill we recommend to anyone who wants serious capability without a premium price.
Tested June 2026 · last updated June 2026
What we measured
2,463 cm2cooking area on the 56cm grate 230 Cheld steady for a roast-chicken cook 300 Cpeak searing heat over full coals 14.5 kgtotal weight with the cast-iron grate
Char-Broil Kettleman: full specifications | Type | Charcoal kettle |
|---|
| Cooking diameter | 56 cm (2,463 cm2) |
|---|
| Cooking grate | Cast-iron, hinged |
|---|
| Lid and bowl | Porcelain-coated steel |
|---|
| Airflow control | Single bottom damper + lid vent |
|---|
| Charcoal access door | Yes (side hatch) |
|---|
| Ash management | Lift-out ash pan |
|---|
| Lid thermometer | Built-in |
|---|
| Weight | 14.5 kg |
|---|
| Measured peak heat | 300 C (full chimney) |
|---|
| Warranty | 3 years (firebox) |
|---|
| Typical UK price | £170 |
|---|
Who is the Char-Broil Kettleman for?
The Kettleman is the right BBQ if you want a proper, capable charcoal kettle but do not want to pay premium money for it. The 56cm grate gives 2,463 cm2 of cooking area, only fractionally less than a 57cm kettle, so it feeds the same family of four to six with no real compromise on capacity. What sets it apart at the price is the heavy hinged cast-iron grate, which stores heat and lays down deep, even sear marks that a thin plated grate cannot, and the side charcoal door, which lets you feed the fire on a longer cook without lifting everything off. It is the grill for the value-minded cook who still cares about a good steak.
It is less suited to two groups. Anyone who wants the finest low-and-slow temperature control will find the single bottom vent a limitation next to the dual dampers on the Weber Master-Touch, which makes very long smoking cooks a little fiddlier. And anyone on the tightest budget who does not need a cast-iron grate or a sealed kettle will save more with the barrel-style Landmann Black Taurus 660. For the cook who wants the most BBQ for around £170, though, the Kettleman is hard to beat.
How the Char-Broil Kettleman performs
Searing and cooking
The cast-iron grate is the headline. Because it is heavy and dense, it absorbs and holds heat, so when we laid a steak on it over a full chimney of coals at 300 C, it branded a deep, crisp crust in well under two minutes a side, the kind of sear a thin plated grate struggles to match. For everyday grilling the sealed lid held a steady 230 C through a whole roast-chicken cook with the vents about half open, and the lid thermometer tracked within roughly 12 degrees of our probe. The bowl recovered heat in around two minutes after the lid came off. As a grilling and roasting machine it gives almost nothing away to kettles costing far more.
The charcoal door and ash pan
The two convenience features genuinely improve the experience. The side charcoal door is a hinged hatch in the bowl that lets you tip in more lit coals on a long cook without lifting the grate and the food, which is a small thing that makes a real difference on a two-hour roast. After cooking, the lift-out ash pan slides out from underneath so you can tip the ash straight into the bin; it is not quite as slick as the Weber's sweep-and-catch system, but it is quick and keeps your hands clean. The cast-iron grate does need seasoning with oil and a little care to avoid rust, which is the price of its searing ability.
Build and value
The porcelain-coated steel bowl and lid feel solid and sealed noticeably better than the budget barrels, holding heat well in a breeze. At 14.5 kg it is the heaviest kettle here, mostly because of that cast-iron grate, so it is a little less nimble to move but feels reassuringly planted. The 3-year firebox warranty is shorter than the Weber's decade but normal at this price. Taken together, you are getting roughly 90 percent of a premium kettle's capability for around two-thirds of the money, which is exactly why it is our value pick.
The honest downsides
There are two. First, the single bottom vent is the main compromise: it is fine for grilling and roasting, but for the very fine airflow control that long low-and-slow smoking rewards, twin dampers like the Weber's are easier to dial in. Second, the cast-iron grate, brilliant for searing, needs seasoning and a wipe of oil after use to keep rust at bay, where a plated grate can be left alone. Neither is a deal-breaker; they are the small trade-offs that come with hitting this price while still including a proper sear grate.
The good
- Almost full 57cm capacity (2,463 cm2) for around £170
- Heavy cast-iron grate sears at 300 C with deep marks
- Side charcoal door for adding fuel mid-cook
- Sealed lid held a steady 230 C through a roast
- Lift-out ash pan keeps clean-up quick
The not-so-good
- Single bottom vent limits fine low-and-slow control
- Cast-iron grate needs seasoning and care
- Heaviest kettle here at 14.5 kg
- Shorter 3-year warranty than the Weber
Best for: the value-minded cook who wants a capable, sealed charcoal kettle with a proper sear grate for under £200. Not the pick if you want the finest low-and-slow control (try the Weber Master-Touch) or the lowest possible price (try the Landmann Black Taurus 660).
